Because He Loves Me

Yesterday my right hand hero man went with me up to the market.
We stopped first at the "Yarn Shop" (I'll have to get a picture of that for you sometime!), to pick up a crochet hook and some yarn for one of my students. (Did I mention that I am teaching a crochet class to the High School Deaf Girls?)  Then we had to go see Rosie.  No trip to the market is complete without stopping by to see Rosie!  Who is Rosie?  Rosie is the lady who sells fruit.  She is an expert at picking out the exact fruit you want - just tell her if you want it for today (ripe and ready to eat), or for tomorrow or the next day (not quite so ripe).  She especially loves my children!  She always has an orange or a banana ready for each of us when she sees us coming! (Another picture I should get for you!) After buying some bananas and savoring the oranges she gave us, we said "Ciao!" (Traditional Peruvian good-bye), and continued on our way.  We were finished with our shopping and  were headed back out to the street to walk home.  Ian chattered as we walked along looking at different "shops" and stepped around sleeping dogs.  On our way out, we passed a "Plant Shop."  I just had to stop - I love plants and flowers, even though I'll probably never win the "Most Successful Gardener" or the "Gardener of the Year" award!  The lady had all kinds of plants and flowers - and to my great joy - SEEDS!  I was so excited to see those seeds!  I didn't buy any at that moment, but decided I would certainly return to make a purchase.  Ian and I looked at and admired all the flowers and plants.  Suddenly, Ian pointed to a particular flower and said, "Mommy, I would like to buy that flower for you, because I love you!  Can you call Daddy and ask him if I can?"  Ohhhh!!!!  Talk about your heart melting right into a puddle at your feet!

Well, what else could I do except call Daddy?!  So we called Daddy and Daddy told him that if it wasn't too much, Ian could by the flower for Mommy.  We went back to the "Flower Shop" and Ian showed the lady which plant he wanted.  He gave her the money, and we started for home - very pleased with our purchase.  On the way home, Ian told me the flower was because he loves me and for my Spiritual Birthday (which isn't until August, but that's okay with me!)

So my beautiful plant is sitting in a place of honor - right between my coffee things and my tray of spices!  It is right where I can see it from any place in the kitchen or when I look behind me while I sit at the desk working on the computer!  It is my special reminder of how much I am loved.  It is a reminder to continually pray for my little son - that he would always be so thoughtful and so loving to those around him.  

This month I have been studying Psalm 18.  Wow!  What a "truck-load of blessings" that has been!  I found myself thinking about all the things God does that David listed in that chapter.  Did you know that 2 Samuel 22 is almost identical to Psalm 18?  And when you read 2 Samuel 21, you understand exactly why David wrote chapter 22, which also became Psalm 18.  Then you fast-forward to Romans 8, which tells us "we are more than conquerors"!  See what I mean?  As I was thinking this morning about all those wonderful things God did for David, and does for me (and you - if we'll just let Him!), I find myself asking, "Why?"  The answer is so simple.....

Because He Loves Me!

Have you ever thought...?

"My Jungle"
Matt's loving name for all my plants!

Part 1 of "My Jungle"

Have you ever thought about how others see us?  I bought my two "jungle plants" up at the market yesterday!  I wish you could have been there - I'm sure it was quite a sight to behold:  A white woman speaking Spanish, trying to fit two rather large plant pots, two large "jungle plants," some avocados, a grenadilla (one of the many interesting fruits here), and some bananas into her shopping cart.  I fit it all in - although I had to carry the bananas in my hand.  I can't imagine what people were thinking as I passed by with my little red cart loaded with two huge plants!  It probably was as entertaining as the time I walked down the road in the Philippines with a live chicken tucked under my arm!  Oh, the crazy things we American missionaries do!

Part 2 of "My Jungle"

My Market Shopping Cart

Welcome to "My Jungle"

Last night in church, I got to pray with one of the ladies during prayer time.  God gave me a beautiful glimpse of what Heaven will be like someday with all the different languages of all the saved people singing praises and worshipping our wonderful Saviour.  It brought tears to my eyes as I listened to this dear sister in Christ pray.  Have you ever thought how beautiful it is to hear someone pray in their own language?   (I have to tell you though, I did miss part of her prayer because I was thinking about the beauty of praying in another language!)  I was telling Matt last night how blessed I have been to experience the beauty of hearing and seeing people pray in another language.  I have been blessed to hear (and understand) people praying in Cebuano, Sign Language, and now in Spanish!  One of my Deaf friends came by yesterday for a time of sharing and praying.  That was before church.  After church, as I was thinking about the beauty of prayer, the Lord brought a picture to my mind...a picture of my dear friend pouring her heart out to God in sign language!

Have you ever thought....who is going to have to do all the dishes after the Marriage Supper of the Lamb?  Now you know what I think about while I'm washing my dishes at 10 o'clock at night!  I'll admit, doing dishes has never been one of my favorite things - unless it is someone else's dishes - is anyone else like that???  I have Philippians 4:8-9 in English and Spanish posted on the wall above my sink - I don't know if thinking about who's going to do all the dishes at the Marriage Supper fits into any of the things mentioned in the list of things I'm supposed to be thinking about or not, but.....I couldn't help wondering, "Who IS going to have to wash all those dishes at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb?"